The left back is currently on loan at Loftus Road from the Red Devils, so he was ineligible to face his parent club, and he had to hold back the urge to cheer his brother's highlight-reel finish past Julio Cesar.

"I was pleased to see my brother score a goal like that. Naturally I wanted to celebrate. But I was sat next to the QPR president!" Fabio told Globoesporte. "I told him afterwards: 'You never score goals like that! You had to do it against my team!' But I was happy for him."

Fabio has played in 15 Premier League games (11 starts) for QPR since his loan to the last-place side, getting more playing time than in any of his four previous seasons with Manchester United.

"I've grown a lot this season," Fabio said. "We've both matured. He's flying [for Manchester United] and I'm playing more. The change has been good for us."

Meanwhile, Rafael has admitted he was finding it difficult being separated from his brother for the first time since their arrival in England in 2008, but he insisted the pair were coping with the change.

"Fabio moving to London was the first time we were really separated," Rafael said. "We never spent a year apart. But we're coping.

"At the time of the game, [you] forget it all, forget that on the opposite team is your sibling. We are professional and have to play to win. Because Manchester is fighting to be champions and we want to win every game.